Stories from the Restaurant

1. During almost every shift I get asked where I'm from. I used to say "The States" but realized that everyone already knew that and were asking where in the states, so now i say, "oregon, just north of california." everyone is so encouraging about what sarah and i are doing. "good for you" they say, "enjoy your time." and then i walk away with a smile on my face. that is, if i haven't been roped into a political discussion. :)

2. besides sarah, i have one real friend in london. hayley is an aussie that works at hardy's with me and who will be leaving october 25th to move to canada. she and i have clicked really wonderfully and i'm already wondering how i will do without her. i would tell you all about her, but it would take awhile and i would mostly be describing the nice friendly comradeship that we have together.

3. tony (bar manager) has taught me how to carry about eight clean wine glasses in my left hand alone. and i bet i could get it up to ten or twelve. i have long fingers. i feel rather accomplished.

4. hayley and i are obsessed with chocolate. i think i would eat healthier if i didn't work everyday with an aussie who offers to buy cadbury chocolate bars for me when she goes out to get one for herself. i think i'll go on a sugar fast after she leaves for canada. still, better to be friends with a chocolate lover than with someone who is "meh" about chocolate.

5. i have discovered that i don't take it personally when i am yelled at by the chef, but i cannot stop myself from getting really mad and staying mad for about half an hour. hayley and dominique tell me to brush it off, but i am by nature someone who does not like to keep their mouth shut when yelled at. it's really hard for me to walk away without saying something cutting in reply.

6. the regulars are recognizing me now. and i recognize them. stewart and his wife veronica have told me all about the royal academy of music just down the road and about the events that i can attend there for free. one lady told me how dominique's dad (the old owner) sent her boxes of good food when she was in the hospital and how for two summers now her 17-year-old son has worked there under tony.

7. i eat such good food for lunch and dinner every day that i work. and sometimes when the chefs are bored they'll make desserts for me and hayley. i'm especially fond of the chocolate fondant. sooooo good. i am a lucky girl.

8. i'm learning alternative british restaurant vocabulary. it's not "silverware," it's "cutlery." and it's not "ketchup," it's "tomato sauce." i say "to-mah-toe" now instead of "to-may-toe." and i say "cheers" on the phone when someone makes a booking. some brits say "bye bye" when they end a phone conversation. i can't help but find that really funny every single time. :)

9. hayley and alberto think it's hilarious to try to freak me out with food. actually, usually what happens is that alberto (a chef) will try to scare hayley first, and then she'll come up to me and tell me that alberto needs to talk to me, at which point i will walk into the station and either have a whole eel wiggled in my face, or be offered a plate of crispy whole pig's ears. both of which totally surprised me. especially the eel. i bet it was kind of hilarious. :)

10. my favorite story - the other night a friend of two of the regulars, this big black man, was teasing me about something and hayley says to him, "have her sing something for you. she sings." he looks at me and asks, "sing something. what do you sing?" "everything" i reply, "what do you want me to sing?" "gershwin," he says promptly. so before i can think i start in on "it had to be you" (this was near closing, so the restaurant was pretty empty). and this man starts snapping his fingers to the beat and interjecting little jazzy vocalizations in this wonderful louis armstrong voice. it was so much fun. we stood there and sang "it had to be you" all the way to the end - me doing the melody and him singing along in this beautiful throaty made-for-jazz voice. when we finished everyone clapped and he left, but i seriously couldn't stop grinning the rest of the night. man! i miss singing! it was just the best part of my whole night and probably my whole week. surprises usually are. and musical surprises always are.

that's it. the end of a ridiculously long update. but i thought you might appreciate it. :)